2018 ADEPT Guidelines

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

MOLLY M. SPEARMAN STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION

Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System Guidelines For Classroom-Based Teachers

Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §§ 59-26-30, 59-26-40,

and 24 S.C. Code Ann. Regs. §§ 43-205.1

April 10, 2018 The South Carolina Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability in admission to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies should be made to the Employee Relations Manager, 1429 Senate Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201, 803-734-8781. For further information on federal non-discrimination regulations, including Title IX, contact the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at [email protected] or call 1-800-421-3481.

mailto:[email protected]

Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System Guidelines April 18 Contents

A Note to South Carolina Educators

Educators make a real difference in the lives of students. South Carolina has been a national leader by having requirements around the professional practice of educators for decades. Over time, these requirements have evolved. The Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System represents yet another step in this journey of improving teacher professional practice for the benefit of ALL students in South Carolina. The intent in new approaches to teacher evaluation is to shine a flashlight on where teachers practice is effective and where teachers can grow in their craft. The primary goal is not to use evaluation as a “hammer,” but rather as a tool that informs an educator’s professional growth and development, with emphasis on the direct connection between teacher practices and increased student learning through the incorporation of student academic growth measures into classroom-based teachers’ evaluation. Revisions in our current system seek to align and strengthen professional practice to support the intended student outcomes. Effective teachers have always focused on identifying student strengths and weaknesses, facilitating meaningful student learning, and monitoring student progress towards their educational goals. Including student growth measures within teacher evaluation simply rewards and recognizes a focus on what matters most: our children.

This journey to improve educator professional practice does not end with these guidelines. The SC legislature, State Board of Education, and Department of Education have adopted the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, which requires a re-thinking of educational learning systems and the work of educator teams across the state. The state’s expectations for educators will continue to change as our knowledge as a profession grows and as a result of implementation feedback. The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is committed to the continuous improvement of the system.


Contents A Note to South Carolina Educators i Background 1 Purpose of the Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System 3

System Overview 3 South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 Rubric for Classroom-Based Teachers 4 Student Growth Measures 6

Expanded ADEPT for Teacher Education Programs 8 General Requirements 8 Expanded ADEPT Assurances for Preservice Teachers 8

Orientation 8 Training Requirements 8 Formative Observations and Assistance 9 Summative Observations 9

Program Feedback and Improvement 9 Expanded ADEPT for Induction Contract Teachers 10

Formative Evaluation Requirements 11 Sources of Evidence 11 Lesson Plans 11 Classroom Observation Requirements for Induction Contract Teachers 12 Reflections on Instruction and Student Learning 12 Professional Review 13 Student Learning Objective 13 Professional Growth and Development Plan 13

Expanded ADEPT Summative Evaluation for Annual and Continuing Contract Teachers 14 Summative Evaluation Policy 14 Summative Evaluation Requirements 14

Evaluation Teams 14 Orientation 15 Sources of Evidence 15 Lesson Plans 15 Classroom Observations 16 Highly Consequential Evaluations 16


Reflections on Instruction and Student Learning 16 Professional Review 17 Student Learning Objective 17 Professional Growth and Development Plan 17 Documentation and Evaluation Evidence 17

Expanded ADEPT Diagnostic Assistance for Annual Contract Teachers 19 Formative Evaluation Policy 19 Mentoring 19 Classroom Observations for Annual Contract Teachers undergoing Diagnostic Assistance 20

Reflections on Instruction and Student Learning 20 Professional Growth and Development Plans 20

Program Feedback and Improvement 21 Expanded ADEPT Goals-Based Evaluation Requirements for Annual and Continuing Contract Teachers 22

Goals-Based Evaluation Cycle 22 Goals-Based Evaluation Requirements 22 Yearly Goals-Based Evaluation Reviews 23

Expanded ADEPT Comprehensive Formative Evaluation Requirements for Continuing Contract Teachers 24

Classroom Observations for Continuing Contract Teachers undergoing Comprehensive Evaluations 25 Feedback and Coaching Conferences 26 Classroom Observation Pre-Conferences 26 Classroom Observation Post-Conferences 26 Student Learning Objective Conferences 26

Scoring Procedures 27 Average Approach 27 Consensus Approach 28 Domain Weightings 29 Overall Evaluation Ratings 30

Alternative, Aligned District-Developed Systems for Evaluation 32 Expanded ADEPT Plans 32

Expanded ADEPT Plans for Institutions of Higher Education 32 Expanded ADEPT Plans for Districts 33


South Carolina Teaching Standards Training Requirements 34 South Carolina Teaching Standards Trainer Training and Certification 34 South Carolina Teaching Standards Evaluator Training and Certification 34 Recertification and Calibration 35

Appendix A: Glossary 36 Appendix B: Contract Flowchart 39

Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System Guidelines April 18 Page 1

Background The SCDE’s system for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT) grew out of the knowledge that good teaching is fundamental to student academic growth and achievement. Implemented statewide in 1998, the ADEPT system has become a vital part of the state’s overall teacher quality initiative. In addition to achieving the minimum score or better on appropriate examinations of both subject matter (content) and general teaching area, teachers were required to complete all ADEPT requirements to be eligible for a professional teaching certificate. On the fifth anniversary of ADEPT implementation, the state commissioned a comprehensive external evaluation of the system to determine the strengths, weaknesses, and fidelity of implementation of the system. The evaluation of the system resulted in upgrades beginning with amendments to the ADEPT statute (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 59-26-30 and 59-26-40). Signed into law in 2004, these amendments modified several of the teacher contract levels and corresponding ADEPT procedural requirements. During the second phase of the upgrade (2004–05), a statewide committee of educators was convened to review recommendations for amendments to the State Board of Education’s (SBE) ADEPT regulation (24 S.C. Code Ann. Regs. §§ 43-205.1) and to draft ADEPT implementation guidelines. The work of the steering committee resulted in the ADEPT Guidelines that were approved by the South Carolina SBE in 2006 and have continued to be the basis for teacher evaluation and licensure. In 2012, the SCDE applied for and was granted a waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirements. The United States Department of Education (USED) approved the waiver provided that an expanded system for educator evaluation was developed and implemented statewide that included student growth measures. To meet USED timelines, in June 2014, initial guidelines were adopted, and in March 2015, the Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System was presented to the SBE.

In December 2015, ESEA legislation was reauthorized, allowing states greater flexibility in designing educator evaluation systems. The SCDE took this opportunity to rethink its approach to the redesign of the Expanded ADEPT educator evaluation system. Four requests were made of the SBE:

● Remove the requirement of test score-based measures within educator evaluation. ● Continue to collect student growth measures through the student learning objectives

(SLO) process and the use of local growth measures. ● Use the student growth measure as an artifact that supports ratings within professional

practice domains rather than as its own measure. ● Grant permission to convene educator stakeholder focus groups to get feedback related to

changes in the system.

These four requests were approved on January 13, 2016. Refinements in these system guidelines reflect stakeholder feedback gathered over the course of 2016–18 from statewide trainings, focus groups, an online feedback survey (over 9,000 responses received), annual Expanded ADEPT

http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/File/educators/teacher-evaluations/16-6657_SECC%20Report_Final_8_19.pdf


plans, webinars, multiple reviews from advisory groups across the state of South Carolina, and independent reviews from the Southern Regional Education Board and the American Institutes of Research. Additionally, feedback from a study conducted by the Research, Evaluation, and Measurement Center at the University of South Carolina in conjunction with districts across the state was used to establish the scoring ranges for 2018. Our work is not over. Refinements to the system will continue to ensure the system is meaningful to South Carolina educators, aligned to the intent of professional growth and development, and thoughtful in its implementation. Every student in South Carolina schools deserves an effective teacher. Teachers deserve timely, thoughtful feedback about their practice to grow and develop at all stages of their professional career.


Purpose of the Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System

The Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System for Classroom-Based Teachers (2018) (Expanded ADEPT) is designed to continuously develop educators at all performance levels through an evaluation system that is valid, reliable, and fair and that produces actionable and constructive feedback to support professional growth. For purposes of this system, educator is defined as a certified classroom teacher who plans, delivers, and assesses instruction over time. School counselors, speech and language therapists, and library media specialists will continue to be evaluated under the existing 2006 ADEPT guidelines until new evaluation guidelines are developed for those educators. These guidelines amend the earlier approved Expanded ADEPT Guidelines and SAFE-T Guidelines; any provisions that are not expressly changed remain in place. Expanded ADEPT re-focuses the attention on intended student outcomes, allowing educators to align and strengthen professional practice to support those intended student outcomes. The system uses data-driven improvements to the state’s existing support and evaluation systems authorized under the following:

● S.C. Code Ann. §§ 59-26-40 (Supp. 2016): Training, Certification, and Evaluation of

Public Educators, available online at http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/file/programs-services/50/documents/ADEPT_Statute_Amended2012.pdf

● State Board of Education Regulation § 43-205.1 (Supp. 2016): Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT), available online at https://ed.sc.gov/state-board/state-board-of-education/additional-resources/regulations-table-of-contents/205-1-pdf/

System Overview With these improvements, Expanded ADEPT contains multiple valid measures of educator practice and impact, including the following:

● Support for continuous improvement of instruction; ● Systematic assessment and differentiation of educator professional practice; ● Use of multiple valid measures to include: professional performance (including

observations of professional practice) and student growth measure(s); ● Inclusion of appropriate processes for regularly evaluating educators; ● Clear, timely, useful, and actionable feedback for educators that identifies areas for

improvement and guides professional development (PD); ● Annual individualized professional growth plans aligned to district strategic plans and the

school’s renewal plan; ● Use of evaluations to inform personnel decisions; ● Appropriate training for all educators to help them understand the purposes of the

evaluation system, the elements of the evaluation system, and their roles and responsibilities in implementing these systems; and

● Annual reporting, assurances, and updates within district and higher education Expanded ADEPT plans.

http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/file/programs-services/50/documents/ADEPT_Statute_Amended2012.pdf

http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/file/programs-services/50/documents/ADEPT_Statute_Amended2012.pdf

https://ed.sc.gov/state-board/state-board-of-education/additional-resources/regulations-table-of-contents/205-1-pdf/

https://ed.sc.gov/state-board/state-board-of-education/additional-resources/regulations-table-of-contents/205-1-pdf/


South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 Rubric for Classroom-Based Teachers

Within the Expanded ADEPT System, the South Carolina Teaching Standards (SCTS) 4.0 Rubric serves as the observation instrument for classroom-based teacher evaluations. For the purpose of Expanded ADEPT, the term classroom-based teacher refers to those educators who are responsible for planning, delivering, and assessing instruction to students over time. The term classroom-based teacher does not include special-area personnel (i.e., school counselors, library media specialists, and speech and language therapists). The SCTS 4.0 rubric is based on sets of performance standards designed and validated by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) and establishes the expectations for what classroom-based teachers are to know, be able to do, and carry out as an integral part of their practice. These expectations, called the SCTS Indicators, are the foundation for good teaching and are designed to grow classroom-based teachers throughout their career continuum, beginning with teacher preparation and continuing through induction, high-stakes performance evaluations, and ongoing professional growth and development. A classroom-based teacher’s proficiency in each of the standards is expected to occur developmentally and to increase continuously throughout the entirety of the teaching career. There are twenty-three SCTS Indicators for classroom-based teachers. These Indicators are grouped into four broad categories, or domains:

Planning Instruction Environment Professionalism • Instructional Plans • Student Work • Assessment

• Standards & Objectives

• Motivating Students

• Presenting Instructional Content

• Lesson Structure & Pacing

• Activities & Materials

• Questioning • Academic

Feedback • Grouping Students • Teacher Content

Knowledge • Teacher

Knowledge of Students

• Thinking • Problem Solving

• Managing Student Behavior

• Expectations • Environment • Respectful

Culture

• Growing & Developing Professionally

• Reflecting on Teaching

• Community Involvement

• School Responsibilities


Each of these Indicators contains a set of Descriptors—the critical components of the Indicator. Together, the Indicators and Descriptors establish the proficiency expectations for each Domain. The Descriptors are not intended to be used as a checklist. Good teaching takes different forms, depending on the content, the students, and the intended outcomes. Oftentimes, a variety of instructional and assessment methods and approaches are equally viable. For this reason, a checklist is far too restrictive to be used for gauging teacher effectiveness.


Student Growth Measures

The central purpose of the Expanded ADEPT system is to promote teacher quality and increase student growth. Student growth is an integral part of the Expanded ADEPT System. As such, student growth has a direct relationship to each of the SCTS Domains for classroom-based teachers and the related Indicators.

Each of the SCTS interrelated Domains are important because, to promote student growth, classroom-based teachers must be able to do the following:

● Planning o Determine what the students need to know and be able to do. o Appropriately evaluate student knowledge before instruction. o Design and plan instruction that is appropriate and meaningful to the students. o Analyze and reflect on student performance to determine student progress. o Use results of these analyses to guide future planning and instruction.

● Instruction o Appropriately evaluate student performance during and after instruction. o Implement instructional practices that target and accommodate all students. o Analyze and reflect on the impact of the instruction on student learning. o Use results of these analyses to differentiate instruction.

● Environment o Create and maintain a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.

● Professionalism o Assume responsibility for continuously improving and sharing professional

knowledge and skills to the benefit of the students.

Planning Instruction

Environment Professionalism

Student Growth


So that the classroom-based teacher’s impact on student growth can be clearly reflected, the Student Learning Objective (SLO) has been added to the Expanded ADEPT evaluation requirements. Through the SLO, classroom-based teachers engage in an iterative process that both examines and strengthens their abilities to promote student growth. More information about the SLO process and business rules are available on the SCDE SLO webpage. The SLO serves to measure the impact of teaching performance on student growth, determined by the teacher’s ability to set appropriate goals for student learning and development, accurately measure and analyze student growth, and to plan, implement, and adjust instruction to ensure maximum student progress. The SLO will be required annually of all classroom based-teachers and used as an artifact to support the following SCTS Indicators, as evidenced by the table below.

These Student Learning Objective (SLO)

Components are artifacts to support These South Carolina Teaching Standards

Indicators Objective/Goals Standards and Objectives Rationale Baseline/Trend Data Student Population

Teacher Knowledge of Students

Standards/Content Instructional Plans Assessment Assessment Growth Targets Grouping Students

Progress Monitoring Academic Feedback Questioning

Instructional Strategies Presenting Instructional Content

Districts may elect to collect additional growth measures (e.g., value-added calculations) outside of the SLO process. If a district elects to use student growth measures outside of the SLO process, the method must be identified within a district’s Expanded ADEPT plan and communicated to teachers in orientation.

http://ed.sc.gov/educators/educator-effectiveness/measuring-student-growth/slo/


Expanded ADEPT for Teacher Education Programs General Requirements

In addition to complying with the ADEPT requirements detailed in this document, all approved teacher education programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) must adhere to the specifications outlined in the SCDE document Policy Guidelines for South Carolina Teacher Education Units: http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/File/educators/educator-preparation/educator-units/081012Standards_Policies_Procedures_Board_Approved_2015(1).pdf. Expanded ADEPT Assurances for Preservice Teachers All South Carolina teacher education programs that prepare candidates for initial certification as classroom-based teachers must ensure that the SCTS Indicators for classroom teachers are integrated throughout the candidates’ coursework, field experiences, and clinical practice. Orientation

● All South Carolina teacher education programs at IHEs must assist and evaluate teacher candidates throughout their clinical practice (i.e., student teaching) experiences.

● Each teacher candidate must receive—prior to beginning the clinical experience—a comprehensive orientation that includes written and oral explanations of

o Assistance and evaluation processes; o Expectations related to the Expanded ADEPT System; and o Requirements, including the SCTS performance criteria, for successfully

completing the clinical practice. Training Requirements

● Each teacher candidate must be supervised by one or more IHE faculty supervisors and one or more school-based supervisors (i.e., cooperating teachers) throughout the clinical practice.

● All IHE and school-based supervisors must have successfully completed the appropriate Expanded ADEPT training as described in the “Expanded ADEPT Training Requirements” section of these guidelines.

● The teacher education program must provide all school-based supervisors with written and oral explanations of the IHE’s

o Assistance and evaluation processes; o Expectations relative to candidates’ performance on each of the SCTS Indicators;

and o Requirements, including the SCTS performance criteria, for candidates to

successfully complete the clinical practice.

http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/File/educators/educator-preparation/educator-units/081012Standards_Policies_Procedures_Board_Approved_2015(1).pdf




Formative Observations and Assistance

● Each teacher candidate must receive formative observations, written and oral feedback, and assistance regarding all SCTS Indicators from both his or her IHE and his or her school-based cooperating/supervising teachers throughout the clinical practice.

● The formative evaluation process must include a minimum of four classroom observations (including at least two formative observations by the IHE supervisor and at least two formative observations by the school-based supervisor), each followed by appropriate feedback and assistance.

Summative Observations

● Teacher candidates must receive a minimum of two summative classroom observations regarding the SCTS Indicators.

● Both the IHE supervisor and the school-based supervisor must participate in the summative evaluation process.

● The summative evaluation process must be aligned with the Expanded ADEPT summative evaluation guidelines, must include appropriate data collection and evidence documentation procedures (including a minimum of two classroom observations—one by the IHE supervisor and one by the school-based supervisor), and must ensure that the candidate receives written feedback on his or her performance in terms of each of the SCTS Indicators.

Program Feedback and Improvement

● Teacher education programs must obtain and analyze feedback on an annual basis from IHE supervisors, school-based supervisors, and teacher candidates regarding the effectiveness of the Expanded ADEPT preparation, evaluation, and assistance processes.

● Teacher education programs must analyze the Expanded ADEPT summary data on their graduates and report results annually to the SCDE.

● Teacher education programs must use the results of these analyses to continuously improve their Expanded ADEPT preparation, evaluation, and assistance processes.


Expanded ADEPT for Induction Contract Teachers

The purpose of induction is to facilitate beginning teachers’ successful transition into the profession. The primary emphasis during this time is on the “assisting” component of the Expanded ADEPT System. Detailed information regarding this assistance process is contained in the SCDE document “"South Carolina Induction and Mentoring Guidelines" (2017).” As a part of the ADEPT assistance process, school districts must make certain that beginning teachers are knowledgeable about the Expanded ADEPT System. However, the assistance process is not limited to providing these teachers with instruction on the SCTS 4.0 rubric. The ultimate goal of the assistance process is, of course, to help these teachers meet or exceed these performance expectations as part of their everyday practice. Specifically, the school districts must develop and implement plans to ensure that each induction-contract teacher understands the following:

● What “good teaching” looks like in terms of the particular SCTS Indicators that are appropriate for classroom-based teachers.

● Ways in which the district will provide written and oral formative feedback to the teacher regarding his or her performance in regard to each of the SCTS Indicators, and the frequency (i.e., at least twice per year) with which this feedback will be provided.

● The district’s criteria for determining whether to recommend the teacher for reemployment the following year.

● If the teacher is to be reemployed the following year, the district’s criteria for determining whether to place the teacher on a second (or third) induction year; whether to move the teacher to the annual contract status with formal evaluation; or whether to provide diagnostic assistance

● The Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation process that each teacher must successfully complete during the annual-contract year, including o Components of the formal evaluation process; o Criteria for successfully completing the Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation; and o Ways in which the Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation results will be used (e.g., to

determine eligibility for advancement to a professional teaching certificate and a continuing contract, to make employment decisions, to guide in developing/refining teachers’ professional growth and development plans, to inform teacher preparation programs).

https://ed.sc.gov/educators/educator-effectiveness/induction-and-mentoring/2017-induction-and-mentoring-guidelines/


Formative Evaluation Requirements

● All Induction contract teachers must receive a comprehensive orientation to the formative evaluation process.

● All first-year Induction contract teachers must be assigned a qualified mentor by their employing district. An assigned mentor should be specifically matched to the teacher to provide more intensive and individualized support, beyond the level of support provided to other teachers. Assigned mentors must meet mentor certification requirements as outlined in the Induction and Mentoring Guidelines. Mentors are not to serve as evaluators, and should follow all requirements outlined in the South Carolina SBE approved Induction and Mentoring Guidelines. o Employing districts may assign qualified mentors to Induction year two and three

teachers, but such support is not required. Induction year two and three teachers may seek additional support at their discretion.

● All Induction contract teachers will write at least one SLO per school year.

Sources of Evidence

● All Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation systems must include multiple sources of evidence that reflect the teacher’s typical performance relative to each of the SCTS Indicators.

● Evidence must be collected from the following six sources, at a minimum: lesson plans from the targeted unit; classroom observations; reflections on instruction and student learning; the professional review; the professional growth and development plan; and the SLO. Evaluation teams may also request student work from observed lessons to support SCTS Indicator ratings.

Lesson Plans

● Each teacher undergoing formal evaluation must provide their evaluators with lesson plans to support ratings for the Planning Domain. Lesson plans for the unit from which the observed lesson occurs must be provided. Additional lesson plans may be requested by the evaluation team.

● Evaluators must review the teacher’s lesson plan(s) to support evaluation ratings for each observation they conduct.


Classroom Observation Requirements for Induction Contract Teachers

Educator and

Observation Type

Observations: type and frequency Observer Level of Impact

Induction Formative

Each induction contract year: >1 – Full Classroom Observation per semester with conferences. Additional informal observations and feedback at the evaluator’s discretion. The fall semester observation will be announced, and accompanied by a pre- and post-conference. The spring semester observation will be unannounced and accompanied by a post-conference. Each observation must cover the entirety of the lesson, and address all SCTS Indicators identified in the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains. Target focus must be given to the teacher’s identified area(s) of improvement. Induction Year 1: Mentors must be assigned. Additional Induction Years: Mentors provided at discretion of district. Teachers may seek additional support at their volition.

Principal or SCTS certified administrative designee

Trained Mentor

School district employment; number of induction years; contents of the professional development plan.

Reflections on Instruction and Student Learning

● Following each required observation, the teacher must complete the Post-Conference

Teacher Reflection. The purpose of this report is to allow the teacher to reflect on the observed lessons and provide self-scores for Indicators in the Planning, Instruction, and Environment Domains.

● All reflections are to be submitted to the evaluation team within two calendar days (48-hour period) following the observation, unless an extension is approved by the evaluation team.

● The teacher’s self-evaluation will be used for discussion during the post-conference.


Professional Review

● During the formative evaluation period, the building principal (or designated school- or district-level administrator as appropriate) must complete the Professionalism Scoring Rubric. The purpose of this review is to generate evaluation ratings for Indicators in the Professionalism Domain of the SCTS rubric.

● During the formative evaluation period, the teacher must complete the Professional Self-Review. The purpose of this review is for the teacher to reflect on their professional performance.

Student Learning Objective

● At least one SLO must be developed by all classroom-teachers undergoing formative evaluation.

● The evaluation team will review and score the SLO as supporting evidence for the teacher’s overall evaluation rating.

● The SLO may serve as the teacher’s Professional Growth and Development Plan (PGDP), if no SCTS Indicators are scored as Unsatisfactory during the formative evaluation period.

● At the discretion of the employing district, a PGDP may be required, even if no SCTS Indicators are identified as Unsatisfactory.

Professional Growth and Development Plan If it is determined that the teacher requires a PGDP that focuses on additional areas of professional growth, outside of the SLO, the following requirements must be met:

● On the basis of the results of the formative evaluation period, the evaluation team and/or

designated supervisor(s) must collaborate with the teacher to develop an appropriate professional growth and development plan.

● The plan must include the area of refinement that was identified during the evaluation. ● If multiple areas of refinement were identified, the areas must be prioritized so that no

more than three areas are to be addressed at any given time.


Expanded ADEPT Summative Evaluation for Annual and Continuing Contract Teachers

Summative Evaluation Policy

● Annual and continuing contract teachers who are being recommended for summative evaluation for the upcoming school year must be notified in writing before May 1 of the current school year.

● A teacher employed under a continuing contract must be evaluated on a continuous basis (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 59-26-40(J)).

● Continuing contract teachers who are being recommended for formal (i.e. summative) evaluation the following school year must be notified in writing on or before the date the school district issues the written offer of employment or reemployment. The written notification must include the reason(s) that a formal evaluation is recommended, as well as a description of the formal evaluation process. Continuing-contract teachers who are new to the district must be advised at the time of their hiring if they are to receive a formal evaluation.

Summative Evaluation Requirements

● Educators must be employed at the annual-contract level in a public-school setting and must successfully complete an Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation in an area or areas in which they hold current certification.

● Educators must be employed at least half-time (i.e., full-time equivalent [FTE] = >0.5) during their formal evaluation year to be eligible for certificate advancement.

● The entire summative evaluation period must cover a minimum of 90 working days over the course of the academic year.

● The summative evaluation period must consist of two evaluation cycles that are roughly equal in length (i.e., each cycle must cover approximately 45 working days, with the total period being no less than 90 working days).

● The entire first (i.e., preliminary) evaluation cycle must occur during the first semester of the school year. All or at least a portion of the second (i.e., final) evaluation cycle must occur during the second semester of the school year. The summative evaluation period begins on the date that the teacher orientation is held and ends on the date that all final evaluation conferences must be completed as specified in the Expanded ADEPT plan. .

● Each school district must include the dates of the summative evaluation period in its annual Expanded ADEPT plan.

Evaluation Teams

● An Expanded ADEPT evaluation team must be appointed for each teacher who is scheduled for formal evaluation.

● All evaluation team members must be certified to use the intended formal evaluation instrument, SCTS or otherwise.

● Each Expanded ADEPT evaluation team must consist of a minimum of two members. One evaluator must be a school or district administrator or supervisor; the other evaluator


must possess knowledge of the content taught by the teacher who is being formally evaluated. If a content area specialist is not available, someone from a closely related area should be appointed.

● A minimum of three evaluators is required for the two groups of teachers scheduled to undergo highly consequential formal evaluations (i.e., annual-contract teachers who are undergoing their second summative evaluations and annual-contract teachers who are returning to the field following Expanded ADEPT-related state sanctions and are undergoing their final required summative evaluations). o One of the three members of the evaluation team must have knowledge of the content

taught by the teacher who is being formally evaluated. If a content area specialist is not available, someone from a closely related area should be appointed.

o Classroom observations made as part of the data-collection process must be conducted and documented by all three evaluators.

o All three evaluators must review all evidence collected and participate in the evaluation team meetings.

Orientation

● All teachers scheduled for summative evaluation must receive a comprehensive orientation to the evaluation process prior to beginning the evaluation. The orientation must include, at minimum, written and oral explanations of the SCTS instrument or SCDE-approved alternative instrument, the evaluation process, the evaluation timeline, the criteria for successfully completing the evaluation, and the intended use of the evaluation results.

● In districts using the SCTS rubric, teachers must participate in the SCDE approved one-day teacher rubric training before their first summative evaluation.

Sources of Evidence

● All Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation systems must include multiple sources of evidence that reflect the teacher’s typical performance relative to each of the SCTS Indicators.

● Evidence must be collected from the following six sources, at a minimum: lesson plans from the targeted unit, classroom observations, reflections on instruction and student learning, the professional review, the professional growth and development plan, and the SLO. Evaluation teams may also request student work from observed lessons to support SCTS Indicator ratings.

Lesson Plans

● Each teacher undergoing formal evaluation must provide their evaluators with lesson plans to support ratings for the Planning Domain. Lesson plans for the unit from which observed lesson occurs must be provided. Additional lesson plans may be requested by the evaluation team.


● Evaluators must review the teacher’s lesson plan(s) to support evaluation ratings for each observation they conduct.

Classroom Observations Educator and Observation

Type Observations: type and frequency Observer Level of Impact

Annual & Continuing

Summative

>2 – Full Classroom Observations per semester, conducted separately by at least two observers (4 total), with conferences. Additional informal observations and feedback at the evaluator’s discretion. Preliminary cycle observations (fall semester) must be announced accompanied by pre- and post-conferences. Final cycle observations (spring semester) must be unannounced and accompanied by post-conferences. All observations must cover the entirety of the lesson. Additional Informal or Walk-Through Classroom Observations per semester are encouraged.

Principal or trained administrative designee & Content Expert Each evaluator must conduct at least one observation per cycle.

School district employment; SC certification; possible highly consequential evaluation; contents of the professional development plan.

Highly Consequential Evaluations A minimum of three evaluators is required for teachers undergoing highly consequential formal evaluations (i.e., annual-contract teachers who are undergoing their second summative evaluation and annual-contract teachers who are returning to the field following Expanded ADEPT-related state sanctions and are undergoing their final required summative evaluations). Reflections on Instruction and Student Learning



● All reflections are to be submitted to the evaluation team within two calendar days (48-hour period) following the observation, unless an extension is approved by the evaluation team.

● The teacher’s self-evaluation will be used for discussion during the post-conference.


Professional Review

● During the summative evaluation period, the building principal (or designated school- or district-level administrator as appropriate) must complete the Professionalism Scoring Rubric. The purpose of this review is to generate evaluation ratings for Indicators in the Professionalism Domain of the SCTS rubric.

● During the summative evaluation period, the teacher must complete the Professional Self-Review. The purpose of this review is for the teacher to reflect on their professional performance.

Student Learning Objective

● At least one SLO must be developed by all classroom-teachers undergoing summative evaluation.

● The evaluation team will review and score the SLO as supporting evidence for the teacher’s overall evaluation rating.

● The SLO may serve as the teacher’s PGDP, if no SCTS Indicators are scored as Unsatisfactory during the summative evaluation period.

● At the discretion of the employing district, in addition to the SLO, professional growth and development goal(s) may be required, even if no SCTS Indicators are identified as Unsatisfactory.

Professional Growth and Development Plan If it is determined that the teacher requires a PGDP that focuses on additional areas of professional growth outside of the SLO, the following requirements must be met:

● On the basis of the results of the summative evaluation period, the evaluation team and/or

designated supervisor(s) must collaborate with the teacher to develop an appropriate PGDP.

● The plan must include the area of refinement that was identified during the evaluation. ● If multiple areas of refinement were identified, the areas must be prioritized so that no

more than three areas are to be addressed at any given time. ● If no areas of weakness were identified, the plan must support continued improvements in

professional knowledge and skills. Documentation and Evaluation Evidence

● The chair of the evaluation team must maintain all evaluation evidence for each teacher who is undergoing formal evaluation.

● Copies of all evaluation documents must be made available to each member of the evaluation team.

● Evaluation evidence must include, but need not be limited to, o Teacher lesson plans,


o Classroom observation data, o Teacher reflections/self-evaluations, o Professional reviews, o PGDP, and o SLO to include student data and evidence of data-driven instruction.

Indicators that were scored Unsatisfactory automatically become areas for improvement. The educator’s PGDP for the following school year must address these areas for improvement.


Expanded ADEPT Diagnostic Assistance for Annual Contract Teachers

Formative Evaluation Policy The purpose of diagnostic assistance is to allow districts to provide individualized support to annual-contract educators who have demonstrated potential but who are not yet ready to complete a formal performance evaluation. Diagnostic assistance may be provided either during the educator’s first annual-contract year or following the educator’s first unsuccessful formal evaluation.

Districts may consider results from diagnostic assistance evaluations when making subsequent employment decisions. Once the diagnostic assistance year is complete, the school district, at its discretion, may either employ the teacher under another annual contract or terminate the teacher’s employment. If employment is terminated, the educator may seek employment in another school district at the annual-contract level.

The SCDE will not apply any results obtained during a diagnostic assistance year toward an educator’s annual-contract summative evaluation requirements. The educator will be eligible for an annual contract and be required to undergo a full formal evaluation during his or her next year of employment, regardless of any results obtained during the diagnostic-assistance year. A diagnostic-assistance year must be followed by a summative evaluation during the educator’s next year of teaching employment in a South Carolina public school. An educator is eligible to receive only one diagnostic-assistance year during his or her public school teaching career in this state.

Mentoring

● The school district must assign a mentor to each annual-contract educator who is receiving diagnostic assistance.

● All mentors must be trained and assigned in accordance with the "South Carolina Induction and Mentoring Guidelines" as well as with the Expanded ADEPT training requirements that are described later in this document. The role of the mentor is to provide additional support to the educator.

● The school district must ensure that the mentor has regular opportunities to observe, consult with, coach, give formative feedback to, and provide other types of assistance to the educator, as specified in the educator’s PGDP. The mentor should keep a log to document the assistance he or she has provided to the educator throughout the year.

● The mentor must not serve as an evaluator for the educator.




Classroom Observations for Annual Contract Teachers undergoing Diagnostic Assistance Educator and Observation


Annual Diagnostic Assistance

Each annual contract year: >2 – Full Classroom Observation per semester with conferences. Additional informal observations and feedback at the evaluator’s discretion. The fall semester observation will be announced, and accompanied by a pre- and post-conference. The spring semester observation will be unannounced and accompanied by a post-conference. Each observation must cover the entirety of the lesson, and address all SCTS Indicators identified in the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains. Target focus must be given to the teacher’s identified area(s) of improvement. Mentors must be assigned.

Principal or trained administrative designee & Content Expert Each evaluator must conduct at least one observation per cycle. Trained Mentor

School district employment; contents of the professional development plan.

Reflections on Instruction and Student Learning



● All reflections are to be submitted to the evaluation team within two calendar days of the observation (48 hour period), unless an extension is approved by the evaluation team. The teacher’s self-evaluation will be used for discussion during the post-conference.

Professional Growth and Development Plans

● In addition to the SLO, a professional growth and development plan must be developed by all annual contract teachers undergoing diagnostic assistance. The plan must be developed collaboratively by the supervisor and the educator.

● This professional growth and development plan must be in place no later than the 20th day of school and must include one or more performance goals that address the area(s) in which the educator needs additional support.

● The following information must be included for each goal:


o the recommended strategies to help the educator achieve the goal(s), which might include professional development (e.g., workshops, in-services, conferences, course work, literature reviews), peer group activities (e.g., planning, reflection on instruction or assessment), observations of and consultations with other professionals, research activities, coaching and feedback from the mentor or other professionals, guided reflections, and formative assessments;

o the methods that will be used to determine progress and overall achievement of the goal; and

o the level of performance that will be required to confirm satisfactory progress and overall goal accomplishment.

● At least twice during the year, the supervisor must use the methods specified in the professional growth and development plan to determine the educator’s progress toward meeting each of the goals.

● The supervisor must then provide the educator with oral and written feedback on his or her performance and progress with regard to each goal as well as feedback on the educator’s overall performance in terms of the SCTS Indicators.

● The professional growth and development plan may be modified at any point during the year as deemed necessary and appropriate. Modifications must be made in writing and must be signed by both the educator and the supervisor.

Program Feedback and Improvement

● School districts must obtain feedback on an annual basis from participating educators, mentors, and supervisors regarding the implementation of the Expanded ADEPT diagnostic assistance process.

● School districts must analyze this feedback and use the results to continuously improve the diagnostic assistance process.


Expanded ADEPT Goals-Based Evaluation Requirements for Annual and Continuing Contract Teachers

The primary purpose of the goals-based evaluation (GBE) is to promote continuous, self-directed professional development. Through the GBE process, experienced, successful educators are encouraged to stretch themselves professionally by engaging in meaningful learning experiences. The primary role of supervisors is to facilitate, not control, the GBE process.

● Continuing-contract educators must be evaluated on a continuous basis (i.e., every year).

The evaluation may be summative or goals-based, at the discretion of the local school district.

● Educators employed under annual contracts who have successfully completed the formal evaluation process during a previous annual-contract year are eligible to participate in GBE, at the discretion of their respective school districts. This provision applies primarily to Program for Alternative Certification of Educators (PACE) teachers, career and technology education (CATE) teachers, and international teachers.

● Because all classroom teachers are required to write one SLO each year, the SLO can fulfill the GBE requirement at the employing district’s discretion. An additional GBE goal can be assigned by the employing district.

Goals-Based Evaluation Cycle Each educator’s GBE cycle will cover a maximum four-year period. The intent is to coordinate the GBE cycle with the validity period of the educator’s professional certificate (issued by the SCDE). Goals-Based Evaluation Requirements

All classroom-based teachers participating in the GBE process must write at least one SLO each school year. At the discretion of the employing school district, one or more professional growth and development goals can be assigned. If one or more professional growth goals are established, they should adhere to the following requirements:

● Each goal must be aligned with one or more of the SCTS Indicators. If performance

weaknesses are identified, one or more goals must address the SCTS Indicators where weaknesses are identified.

● Each goal must be stated in terms of change or improvement over time. ● The educator must pursue one or more goals each year of the four-year GBE cycle.


Yearly Goals-Based Evaluation Reviews

● The educator must prepare the agreed-upon evidence of his or her progress toward meeting each goal that was targeted for the year and must submit the evidence to the appropriate supervisor prior to May 1 of that year.

● The supervisor must review the evidence, prepare a written evaluation summary and recommendations, and meet with the educator for an annual review of performance and progress prior to May 1 of each school year. At this meeting the supervisor and educator will review the evidence for the targeted goal(s) and discuss the recommendations: o If GBE is to be continued the following year, the targeted goal(s) must be identified.

Amendments to the educator’s GBE plan, including the goals, may be proposed by either the educator or the supervisor and should be discussed and agreed upon at this time.

● If performance weaknesses are identified but summative evaluation is not recommended, goals must be developed or amended to address these weaknesses. However, no more than three goals can be required for any one year.

● If performance weaknesses are identified and summative evaluation is recommended, the teacher must be notified in writing on or before May 1. The written notification must include a clear reason that relates to weaknesses in one or more of the SCTS Indicators.


Expanded ADEPT Comprehensive Formative Evaluation Requirements for Continuing Contract Teachers All South Carolina classroom-based continuing contract teachers will undergo a comprehensive evaluation during their year of recertification. Comprehensive evaluations are not to be confused with summative evaluations. Comprehensive evaluations are formative, and are designed to provide continuing contract teachers with comprehensive feedback related to their practice for professional growth and development purposes.

Continuing contract teachers in their year of recertification are not required to undergo the full SCTS Rubric scoring process. They will receive one or more observations with conferences to evaluate and score the SCTS Indicators for the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains. All continuing contract teachers in their year of recertification must receive at least one full observation during the preliminary cycle (i.e., fall semester). This observation will be announced and accompanied by a pre- and post-conference. If all SCTS Indicators are scored Proficient or higher during the preliminary cycle, observations scheduled for the final cycle (i.e., spring semester) can be waived at the evaluator’s discretion.

The table below outlines the requirements for comprehensive evaluations for continuing contract teachers in their year of recertification. Districts may elect to conduct comprehensive formative evaluations more frequently.


Classroom Observations for Continuing Contract Teachers undergoing Comprehensive Evaluations Educator and Observation


Continuing Contract

Comprehensive Formative

Comprehensive evaluation occurs at least once within a recertification cycle.

>1 – Full Comprehensive Classroom Observation per semester with conferences. **If all SCTS Indicators are scored Proficient or higher during the preliminary observations(s) (i.e., fall semester), observations scheduled for the final cycle (i.e., spring semester) can be waived at the evaluator’s discretion. If more than one observation is conducted per semester, then at least two observers are needed. The fall semester observation will be announced and accompanied by a pre- and post-conference. The spring semester observation, if not waived, will be unannounced and accompanied by a post-conference. Each observation must cover the entirety of the lesson and should address all SCTS Indicators identified in the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains.

Principal or trained administrative designee & if necessary, a Content Expert

The need for a formal/summative evaluation; contents of the professional growth and development plan.

● All continuing contract teachers must receive a comprehensive evaluation during their

year of recertification, or every five years, whichever is sooner. o Most continuing contract teachers recertify every five years; their comprehensive

evaluations will occur at least once every five years in the year of recertification, or more frequently at the discretion of the supervisor.

o National Board Certified teachers must receive comprehensive evaluations at least once every five years, even if their South Carolina recertification is less frequent.

● All continuing contract teachers undergoing comprehensive evaluations will write at least one SLO.


Feedback and Coaching Conferences Classroom-based teachers receiving full classroom observations using the SCTS 4.0 rubric, will receive pre- and/or post-conferences. These conferences are designed to promote reflection and encourage professional growth and development. Classroom Observation Pre-Conferences The purpose of the pre-conference is to collect evidence related to planning and to give the educator the opportunity to provide context for the lesson.

● It is best practice for teachers to be notified of the date and time for the pre-conference at

least three school days in advance. ● Absent unusual circumstances (e.g., weather, absences, illness, etc.) announced

observations should occur no later than two school days following the pre-conference. ● If the evaluator is unable to observe the intended lesson, a new pre-conference must be

scheduled and conducted. ● During the pre-conference, the evaluator can ask questions and collect evidence prior to

the upcoming observation. Additionally, teachers can ask their evaluators clarifying questions about the SCTS 4.0 rubric and/or specific Indicators within the rubric.

Classroom Observation Post-Conferences The purpose of the post-conference is to provide teachers the opportunity to self-reflect on their lesson.

● The post-conference must occur within five school days of the observation. Prior to the post-conference, the evaluator will identify an area of reinforcement (i.e., area of strength) and an area of refinement (i.e., an area for improvement). These areas will be relative to the SCTS Indicators and will be discussed with the teacher during the post-conference.

Student Learning Objective Conferences The purpose of SLO conferences are to approve, monitor, and provide feedback, and review the effectiveness of a teacher’s SLO. SLO conferences are critical to assisting teachers in becoming reflective practitioners.

● Prior to implementation, the teachers must receive approval to implement his/her SLO. This process is achieved through an SLO Approval Conference.

● SLO monitoring and Mid-Course Review Conferences can be streamlined into the Classroom Observation Conferences. Evaluators can use this time to not only provide feedback on the teacher’s professional practice, but their SLO as well. o If the Classroom Observation Conference is to be used to review and provide

feedback on the SLO, the teacher must be aware of this plan prior to the beginning of


the evaluation interval and the teachers must submit their SLO to their evaluator/evaluation team within two calendar days (48 hours) following the observation.

● The final SLO Review and Scoring Conference must take place following the completion of the entire interval of instruction and must be used to review the SLO with the teacher, including the score assigned to the teacher’s SLO for that school year.

Scoring Procedures Two SCTS scoring approaches are available to districts, the average approach and the consensus approach. Details regarding both approaches are available in the SCTS user manual. Districts will indicate their preferred scoring approach for each contract level in their Expanded ADEPT Plan.

Regardless of the scoring approach used, teachers cannot score Unsatisfactory in any one domain and pass the evaluation.

Average Approach

● With the average approach, scores from each individual observation are plugged into a scoring algorithm that will calculate overall evaluation ratings using each score provided.

● Classroom observations and related artifacts are used to score the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains.

● Scores from each observation are averaged together to form overall domain ratings for the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains.

● The Professionalism domain is scored in the spring, at the very end of the formative or summative evaluation period.

● Following each observation and post-conference, the teacher will receive scores for each Indicator, as well as areas for Reinforcement and Refinement.

● At the conclusion of the formative or summative evaluation period, the teacher’s SLO score is used as a modifier for the teacher’s overall evaluation rating. An SLO score of 4 will increase the teacher’s overall evaluation rating by .25; conversely, an SLO score of 1 will change the teacher’s overall evaluation rating by -.25. SLO scores of 2 and 3 are to have no bearing on the teacher’s overall evaluation rating. o .25 was chosen as modifying score for the SLO because the SCTS Rubric Composite

Scores are set in half-point increments (see p. 33); meaning SCTS ratings (Unsatisfactory, Needs Improvement, Proficient, Exemplary) are separated into .5 increments. Since the SLO is weighted at .25, it will not automatically increase or decrease a teacher’s rating on the SCTS rating scale, but it will carry weight toward the teacher’s overall evaluation score.

● The SLO must be completed as a part of the evaluation process. If the teacher fails to complete the SLO, the score on the SLO will default to a 1, resulting in a decrease of the overall evaluation rating of -.25. Districts may specify how long a teacher has to complete the SLO if they have missed the initial deadline.


● After the conclusion of the final observation, the building principal or supervising administrator will complete the teacher’s Professional Review. Scores from the Professional Review will be used to determine the teacher’s Professionalism score. o In addition to the Professional Review completed by the building principal or

supervising administrator, the teacher will complete the Professional Self-Review. The teacher must submit their Professional Self-Review no later than five school days after their final observation of the final evaluation cycle.

o The Professional Review, completed by the building principal or supervising administrator, and the Professional Self-Review, completed by the teacher, must be completed prior to the conclusion of the evaluation period.

● Following the duration of the evaluation period, the evaluation team chair will meet with the teacher to discuss the teacher’s overall evaluation rating and SLO. Responsibilities of the evaluation team chair are outlined in the SCTS user manual. This meeting must occur by the April 30 contract deadline (“before May first”).

Consensus Approach

● With the consensus approach, scores and evidence from each individual observation are used by the evaluation team to reach consensus scores for each Indicator and Domain.

● Classroom observations are used as part of the scoring of the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains.

● The Professionalism Domain is scored in the spring, at the very end of the formative or summative evaluation period.

● With the consensus approach, teachers receive consensus observation scores following the preliminary and final evaluation cycles, but they do not receive individual scores from each observation. The preliminary conference does not need to include an overall composite score as the Professionalism domain is not required until spring.

● During post-conferences, teachers receive an area of Reinforcement and Refinement, but Indicator scores are not shared.

● Following each classroom observation, the evaluator will score each Indicator and Domain using the scoring rules provided in the SCTS user manual. Once scores have been recorded, the evaluator will store the evidence electronically or in hard copy. Evaluation evidence is maintained by the evaluation team chair. The responsibilities for the evaluation team chair are outlined in the SCTS user manual.

● Following the preliminary cycle, after which each certified evaluator has conducted at least one observation, a consensus meeting will occur. Consensus meetings must be held with all evaluators present.

● During the consensus meeting, the evaluation team will discuss scores for each Indicator. Consensus must be reached on the scores for each Indicator. If the evaluation team cannot reach consensus, an additional team member, who must be SCTS certified, can be brought in to resolve the scoring disagreement(s). The protocol for bringing in an additional team member can be found in the SCTS user manual.

● Once consensus scores have been established, the evaluation team chair will schedule a meeting with the teacher to discuss the scores. The meeting must occur no later than five school days following the consensus meeting.


● Two scoring meetings must occur during the evaluation period, one for the preliminary cycle (fall semester) and one for the final cycle (spring semester).

● Prior to the consensus meeting for the final evaluation cycle, the evaluation chair must have the scored Professional Review from the building principal or supervising administrator and the scored Professional Self-Review from the teacher. o The building principal or supervising administrator must complete one Professional

Review of the teacher being evaluated at the conclusion of the final evaluation cycle. The scored Professional Review, completed by the building principal or supervising administrator, is used to determine the teacher’s Professionalism score.

● At the conclusion of the formative or summative evaluation period, the teacher’s SLO score is used as a modifier for the teacher’s overall evaluation rating. An SLO score of 4 will increase the teacher’s overall evaluation rating by .25; conversely, an SLO score of 1 will change the teacher’s overall evaluation rating by -.25. SLO scores of 2 and 3 are to have no bearing on the teacher’s overall evaluation rating. o .25 was chosen as modifying score for the SLO because the SCTS Rubric Composite

Scores are set in half-point increments (see p. 33); SCTS ratings (Unsatisfactory, Needs Improvement, Proficient, Exemplary) are separated into .5 increments. Since the SLO is weighted at .25, it will not automatically increase or decrease a teacher’s rating on the SCTS rating scale, but it will carry weight toward the teacher’s overall evaluation score.

● The SLO must be completed as a part of the evaluation process. If the teacher fails to complete the SLO, the teacher will score a 1 on the SLO, resulting in a decrease of the overall evaluation rating of -.25. Districts may specify how long a teacher has to complete the SLO if they have missed the initial deadline.

● If the teacher is rated as Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory during the preliminary evaluation cycle, they can still successfully complete the summative evaluation by receiving a rating of Proficient or Exemplary during the final evaluation cycle. The teacher cannot successfully complete the summative evaluation if they receive a rating of Unsatisfactory during the final evaluation cycle.

● During the final scoring meeting, the evaluation team chair will share and discuss the teacher’s final evaluation rating and their SLO score.

● Final scoring meetings must occur prior to the May 1st contract deadline.

Domain Weightings The following weightings will be applied to each domain:

● Planning = 20 percent ● Instruction = 50 percent ● Environment = 20 percent ● Professionalism = 10 percent


These weightings will be used to calculate domain composite scores for teachers. For reference, please see the example below Example 1:

Teacher A receives the following domain scores. Planning = 3.25 Instruction = 3.21 Environment = 3.45 Professionalism = 3.75 SLO = 3.0

The domain scores are then multiplied by the domain weightings to reach a weighted score for each domain.

Planning = 3.25 * .2 = .65 Instruction = 3.21 * .5 = 1.605 Environment = 3.45 * .2 = .69 Professionalism = 3.75 * .1 = .375 SLO = no change

These weighted scores are then added together to reach the teacher’s overall composite score. In Example 1, Teacher A would receive an overall composite score of 3.32.

.65 + 1.605 + .69 + .375 = 3.32

Overall Evaluation Ratings The table below can be used to determine the appropriate rating associated with each composite domain score.

Composite Score Range SCTS Ratings Overall Effectiveness Rating 1.00 – 1.24 = 1.0 Unsatisfactory Not Met 1.25 – 1.75 = 1.5 Needs Improvement Not Met 1.76 – 2.25 = 2.0 Needs Improvement Not Met 2.26 – 2.75 = 2.5 Proficient Met 2.76 – 3.25 = 3.0 Proficient Met 3.26 – 3.75 = 3.5 Proficient Met 3.76 – 4.00 = 4.0 Exemplary Met

In the event a teacher receives an Unsatisfactory rating on any one domain (i.e., a score of less than 1.25) the overall effectiveness rating is Unsatisfactory and reported as “Not Met”. Teachers must score at least 1.25 or higher in each domain to successfully complete the evaluation. Annually, districts will report evaluation data to the SBE including, but not limited to, overall effectiveness ratings, observation results, and student learning objective scores. Per Section 59-18-1960, “[E]ducator effectiveness data must be exempt from public


disclosure pursuant to Section 30-4-30, and may not be subject to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.”


Alternative, Aligned District-Developed Systems for Evaluation All districts will be required to implement the Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation system beginning 2018–19. Districts have flexibility to develop an alternative, aligned approach to evaluation of professional practice. Any school district, school-based program, or teacher education program that proposes using an alternative to the SCDE (state model) rubric for evaluating and supporting educators must present, as part of the annual ADEPT plan, a description that verifies rubric alignment to the four SCTS domains and related indicators and evidence that the proposed alternative standards and/or models meet expectations outlined within these guidelines. Additionally, alternative models must yield educator effectiveness ratings that are aligned with the state’s reporting system and can be reported annually to the SCDE in the standard statewide reporting format. All alternative educator support and evaluation standards and/or models must be reviewed and approved by the SCDE prior to implementation. Expanded ADEPT Plans Any school district, school-based program, or teacher education program wishing to supplement or replace the SCTS instrument must ensure that the proposed instrument is directly correlated with the SCTS Domains and Indicators and that these correlations are explicitly described in the district’s Expanded ADEPT plan. Expanded ADEPT Plans for Institutions of Higher Education

● Each teacher education program must submit an Expanded ADEPT plan to the SCDE by July 1 annually.

● The Expanded ADEPT plan must be submitted in conjunction with the teacher education program’s annual assessment and diversity plan/report.

● The Expanded ADEPT plan must describe or reference the specific ways in which the teacher education program prepares teacher candidates by integrating the SCTS Indicators throughout course work and field experiences.

● The Expanded ADEPT plan must describe or reference the specific ways in which the program implements all requirements for the clinical practice, including the o Time frame for, contents of, and persons responsible for organizing and providing the

orientation for teacher candidates. o Process for providing and/or verifying appropriate training for IHE and school-based

supervisors. o Process for conducting formative assessments of and providing feedback and

assistance to candidates. o Process for conducting summative evaluations of the candidates and the requirements

for successful completion of the evaluations. o Processes for collecting feedback regarding the Expanded ADEPT preparation,

evaluation, and assistance processes; analyzing the results; and using the data to make continuous program improvements.

● Expanded ADEPT plans will be reviewed by the SCDE and must be approved prior to implementation.


Expanded ADEPT Plans for Districts

● Each school district must submit an Expanded ADEPT plan to the SCDE by May 1 annually.

● All Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation systems must use or be aligned to the SCTS Indicators and their respective Descriptors.

● The district must agree to report their data on a four point scale, to align with the scale used in the SCTS rubric.

● The district’s Expanded ADEPT plan must be approved by the SCDE prior to implementation of the proposed instrument.

● School districts must obtain and analyze feedback on an annual basis from participating educators and evaluators regarding the Expanded ADEPT formal evaluation process.

● School districts must analyze their educator effectiveness data system reports and evaluation summaries.

● School districts must use the results of these analyses to continuously improve the design and/or implementation of their ADEPT formal evaluation process.

● The Expanded ADEPT plan must describe or reference the specific details of the district’s o Induction program, o Summative evaluation model and dates for the evaluation period (i.e., preliminary and

final evaluation cycles), o Diagnostic assistance model, o Informal GBE model, o Charter school participants, if any, and o Processes for collecting feedback regarding the Expanded ADEPT preparation,

evaluation, and assistance processes; analyzing the results; and using the data to make continuous program improvements.

● Expanded ADEPT plans will be reviewed and approved by the SCDE. If revisions are needed, districts will have the opportunity to resubmit their plans for approval.


South Carolina Teaching Standards Training Requirements Comprehensive, ongoing training is essential to promoting the integrity and fidelity of implementation of the SCTS rubric. The purpose of the training is to ensure that all SCTS trainers and evaluators have the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain the validity and reliability of the process, to ensure maximum freedom from bias, and to carry out its documentation requirements.

● Those educators who are responsible for implementing the SCTS rubric must successfully complete one or more of the two levels of SCTS training: o SCTS trainer training is required for all educators who seek to train other educators

to become ADEPT evaluators. o SCTS evaluator training is required for all educators who serve on ADEPT formal

evaluation teams for teachers employed at the annual- and continuing-contract levels. Additionally, ongoing PD requirements apply to educators at each of these three levels. These SCTS PD requirements are detailed below. South Carolina Teaching Standards Trainer Training and Certification

● All educators who seek to prepare educators to become SCTS evaluators must successfully complete the SCTS trainer training. The primary purpose of this training is to ensure fidelity of implementation of the SCTS rubric.

● To be eligible to provide SCTS evaluator training, an educator must o Be a certified SCTS evaluator. o Be recommended for the training by a school district administrator or a faculty

member at an IHE.

The SCTS trainer tutorial, developed by the NIET in collaboration with the SCDE, is designed to acquaint the trainer-in-training with the requirements for the three-day evaluator training, including the agenda, materials, and performance assessments. South Carolina Teaching Standards Evaluator Training and Certification

● All educators who serve as members of evaluation teams for teachers at the annual- and continuing-contract levels must successfully complete the SCTS evaluator training. The primary purpose of evaluator training is to ensure reliability.

● An educator must meet the following two criteria to be eligible to participate in SCTS evaluator training: o Have at least one year of successful teaching experience at the continuing-contract

level in a South Carolina public school or at least three years of successful teaching experience in an IHE setting.

o Be recommended for the training by a school district administrator or a faculty member at an IHE.


o All SCTS evaluator trainings must be conducted by a certified SCTS trainer, must include a minimum of three full days (or the equivalent) of direct instruction and guided practice, and must include a comprehensive online certification examination.

The SCTS trainer is responsible for verifying participants’ attendance and performance and for recommending eligible educators for SCTS evaluator certification.

South Carolina Teaching Standards Training for IHE Supervisors and Cooperating Teachers

● All IHE faculty responsible for high-stakes evaluation and grading decisions for teacher candidates (i.e., student teaching/clinical practice directors and coordinators, IHE supervisors, etc.) must successfully complete the SCTS evaluator training and certification exam. All IHE supervisors must maintain appropriate evaluator certification and complete the required calibration as described above.

● At minimum, school-based supervisors/cooperating teachers working with teacher candidates during clinical practice must successfully complete the SCDE-approved one-day Teacher Orientation which includes an overview of the SCTS 4.0 rubric and the IHE’s clinical practice experience and requirements. In order to be eligible to participate in the Teacher Orientation and serve as a school-based supervisor/cooperating teacher, an educator must possess a South Carolina educator certificate at the Professional level and have at least one year of teaching experience in a South Carolina public school.

Recertification and Calibration All SCTS Trainers and Evaluators must recertify once every three years by logging into the SCTS Certification Portal and completing the certification exam. Recertification does not require training attendance. Districts may require evaluators to recertify annually. At a minimum, it is recommended that districts conduct annual re-calibration training to strengthen inter-rater reliability. SCTS trainers and evaluators must participate in all SCTS system update training that is required by the SCDE in order for them to maintain valid SCTS certificates.


Appendix A: Glossary

Administrative designee. An evaluator that has completed SCTS evaluator training and is certified through the SCDE system. Announced observation. Full classroom observations accompanied by pre- and post-conferences. Average or non-consensus approach. Taking the indicator scores from each observation and averaging them to create an overall professional practice score. Consensus approach. Unanimous agreement among the members of the evaluation team on the indicator level scores for professional practice. Continuing comprehensive evaluation. A type of formative evaluation for continuing contract teachers in their year of recertification. Teachers complete an SLO and receive feedback on all SCTS indicators. Comprehensive evaluations are designed to provide continuing contract teachers with feedback related to their practice. Results can be used to inform subsequent evaluations. Domain. A broad category of knowledge. SCTS contains four domains of professional teaching: planning, instruction, environment, and professionalism. Expanded ADEPT. South Carolina’s system for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching. Final evaluation cycle. The second of the two evaluation cycles required for SCTS. The final evaluation cycle must cover approximately 45 working days and must occur, at least in part, during the second semester of the school year. The final evaluation cycle ends on the date that all final evaluation conferences must be completed (i.e., prior to May 1). Formative or summative evaluation period. The formative or summative evaluation period begins on the date that the district Expanded ADEPT teacher orientation is held and ends on the date that all final evaluation conferences must be completed. Formative evaluation. Formative evaluations are designed to promote professional growth and reflection. Results can be used to inform subsequent evaluations. Full classroom observation. The required classroom observations for SCTS, each of which must provide valid evidence relative to all SCTS Indicators in the Planning, Instruction, and Environment domains. Each full classroom observation must cover a complete lesson (including before and after transitions).

Terms in boldface type in the text of the definitions have glossary entries of their own.


Goals-based evaluations (GBE). Informal evaluation process designed for teachers at the Annual and Continuing contract levels who have successfully completed the summative evaluation. Highly consequential evaluation. Applies to any teacher employed at the annual-contract level who has either (1) failed an annual summative evaluation and who is now undergoing a second annual summative evaluation or (2) returned to the field following an Expanded ADEPT-related certificate suspension and is being given one final opportunity to successfully complete a formal evaluation. During the SCTS process, a minimum of three evaluators is required for teachers who are undergoing highly consequential evaluations. Informal or walk-through observation. Optional observations that are typically unannounced, shorter, and/or less comprehensive than full classroom observations. Data gathered from walk-through observations may be used to determine the need for additional full classroom observations, or to follow-up on specific SCTS indicators and instructional weaknesses that were identified during a previous full classroom observation. Professional Growth and Development Plan (PGDP). According to ADEPT statute § S.C. Code Ann. 59-26-40 (2012), teachers at the annual and continuing-contract levels must establish an individual PGDP. The SLO may serve as the teacher’s PGDP for formative and goals-based evaluations. The SLO may serve as the teachers PGDP for summative evaluations if no SCTS Indicators are scored as Unsatisfactory during the summative evaluation period. Post-conferences. Conducted after each full classroom observation. The post-conference is designed to help the teacher reflect on their practice and grow professionally. Post-conference teacher reflections. Opportunities for the teacher to reflect on areas of reinforcement and refinement in the lesson as related to the SCTS indicators. Pre-conference. Conducted prior to each announced observation. The pre-conference is designed to help the evaluator gain insightful knowledge into the teacher’s observed lesson. Preliminary evaluation cycle. The first of two evaluation cycles required for SCTS. The preliminary evaluation cycle must cover approximately 45 working days and must occur during the first semester of the school year. The preliminary evaluation period begins on or after the date that the teacher orientation is held. Professionalism rubric. Evaluation of the teacher’s professional performance completed by the administrator. Professional self-review. The teacher’s reflection on his or her professional practice as related to the indicators in the Professionalism Domain.


South Carolina Teaching Standards (SCTS) 4.0 Rubric. South Carolina’s classroom observation instrument. South Carolina Teaching Standards (SCTS) Indicators. Subsets of the domains that establish the state’s expectations for teaching performance. There are 23 Indicators for classroom-based teachers. Each Indicator includes Descriptors designed to help evaluators score teachers’ practice. Special area personnel. Includes library media specialists, school counselors, and speech-language therapists. SCTS does not apply to special area personnel. Summative evaluation. Summative evaluations are accountability measures that are used to measure and report learning outcomes. These evaluations are more “high-stakes” than formative evaluations, and can be used to inform certificate advancement, contract status, and contract renewal. Unannounced Observations. Observations accompanied by post-conferences.


Appendix B: Contract Flowchart

Documents

2018 ADEPT Guidelines